The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) recently granted a four-year research project Decision Support Tools for Risk-based Prioritization and Control of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (SUSPECt) within the context of the NWO program Partnershipprogramma TTW-STOWA-KWR-TKI Watertechnologie "Contaminants of Emerging Concern". Collaborating participants are Radboud University in Nijmegen, Wageningen University, RIVM, and Deltares. SUSPECt focuses on emission of Contaminants of Emerging Concern to the environment, and in particular to surface water. At Wageningen University, the focus is on the improved understanding and quantification of transport routes and rates of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals (VP) from livestock to surface water. In dialogue with a broad group of stakeholders, we select which VP to consider explicitly in the project. For these VP (or VP-groups), we investigate the transfer of VP from manure, through storage facilities, towards agricultural fields. The fractions of VP that actually arrive in the field, will be subject to (i) runoff into surface water, (ii) leaching through the water unsaturated soil, and (iii) through water saturated groundwater, as well as to (iv) sorption, transformation and other inactivation processes. In particular these four processes (i)-(iv) will be investigated through the application and development of models. Model results will be compared to passive monitoring. Processes will be investigated at the local as well as the regional scales.

We are searching for a hydrologist, (soil) physicist, environmental scientist, or physical geographer, with demonstrated experience in numerical modelling of water flow and contaminant transport and software as R, Python, Matlab. Sufficient background in biogeochemical interactions in soil as well as affinity with and knowledge of micro-contaminants (risk assessment, monitoring) is an advantage. Good writing skills and communication capabilities to present results and interact with stakeholders and end-users (farmers and water managers) are needed.

We offer a fulltime employment (38 hours a week) as PhD candidate within the Soil Physics and Land Management Group for 18 months with a possible extension of 30 months after a positive evaluation. The gross salary will increase from € 2,222.= in the first year up to € 2,840.= per month in the fourth year (based on fulltime employment). In addition, we offer a holiday bonus of 8%, an end-of-the-year bonus of 8.3% of your annual salary and a broad education.

Wageningen University & Research

Wageningen University & Research
Delivering a substantial contribution to the quality of life. That's our focus - each and every day. Within our domain of good and safe food & food production, food security and a healthy living environment, we search for answers to issues affecting society - such as sustainable food production, climate change and alternative energy. Of course, we don't do this alone. Every day, 5000 people work on 'the quality of life', turning ideas into reality, on a global scale.

The Soil Physics and Land Management group of Wageningen University is involved in teaching for bachelor and masters programs related with the natural soil and groundwater environment, crop and primary production, and pollution studies. Our research, predominantly of the Ecohydrology subgroup, is dedicated to mathematical, physical, chemical and ecological aspects of transport of dissolved substances (solutes) in water in the unsaturated soil and in groundwater. For these tasks, advanced laboratories and software are used.